Topic 3. Types of Accommodation.

Topic 3. Types of Accommodation.

Modern Tourism Industry offers a wide choice of accommodation to suit both tourist's tastes and budget. At the high end of the market there are hotels, which offer rooms, meals and service on call. Motels are very similar, but they are for motorists. They are usually on major roads and always provide parking, but not always meals. B&Bs, or guesthouses, differ from hotels as they are usually small, less expensive, owner-occupied, family-run businesses without staff on call 24/7. Holiday villages are also very popular with tourists travelling on a budget. They offer a wide range of self-catering accommodation from small wooden cabins or chalets to studio apartments to large luxurious holiday villas in fashionable resorts.

Private holiday rental offers a wide variety of options too. There are timeshares, where several people own accommodation they can use at a specific period each year. House swaps are also common, where people holiday in each others' houses.

Hostels as well as university campus provide low-cost, self-catering accommodation usually to young travellers like students.

Campsites are perfect alternative of budget accommodation too, especially if you like hiking or fishing. You can take your own tent or enjoy your stay in different traditional huts. For those who prefer holidays on the move caravans and campervans provide enough comfort. Finally, if you like to combine transport and accommodation you may try a barge or yacht.

But always remember: there is no place like home.

Topic 4. Hotel Facilities

The kind of facilities and services available varies greatly according to the choice of accommodation. Catered accommodation such as hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs is usually categorised using a star system, which varies from country to country.

Generally one star tends to indicate budget accommodation, offering only basic facilities such as en suite bathrooms and TVs in the rooms and services such as breakfast, drinks and daily room cleaning by chambermaids.

Two stars may additionally provide their guests with bath towels, complimentary toiletries such as shower gel, a reading or bedside light, and a credit card payment facility.

Three star hotels often have a hairdryer and a telephone in every room as well as Internet access, laundry and ironing services, and the hotel reception should be staffed for around 14 hours by bilingual staff, speaking English and their native language as well.

While the reception of a four star hotel should be manned for up to 18 hours, rooms should have a refrigerated minibar or room service for drinks, and a la carte restaurant. There would also probably be a lift and more comfortable furniture.

Finally, five star luxury accommodation should offer a reception area staffed 24/7 by multilingual staff, a doorman to welcome guests, valet parking, a porter to take your luggage to your room, a babysitter to take of your children, and a safe in the room for valuables. There are often different business, gym and spa facilities too.

So the list of hotel facilities is endless. Hotel location also influences its star category. But guests always remember hotel atmosphere and staff friendliness as well as personal attention and touch.

Topic 5. Hotel Staff

Any hotel is headed by the general manager, who has overall responsibility. Assistant managers report directly to him. One of them is always on duty at busy times. Assistant managers are responsible for the day-to-day running of the hotel. They plan work schedules, manage the accounts, and deal with any problem to do with staff or guests. Hotel managers need good business and management skills, must be organised and diplomatic, have excellent communication skills and hold hospitality management qualifications.

Basically, there are four departments at any hotel, each of them has its own manager. These departments include Front-of-House, Housekeeping, Banqueting and Conference, Food and Beverage.

Front-of-House manager looks after the reception team as well as head porter and the team of doormen. Receptionists or front desk clerks deal with guests on a daily basis. They check guests in and out, take reservations, bill guests, provide necessary information and make sure that everyone is getting the service they need. For this role you should be polite, organised and have good language skills. The reception team usually consists of a supervisor and two or three receptionists. A porter or a bellboy shows guests to their rooms and carries their luggage.

Then there is housekeeping department. They provide all the services to do with the rooms. The head housekeeper is in charge of this. He or she manages a team of maids and cleaners. So head housekeeper need to be organised, pay attention to details and have good budgetary skills. Chambermaids or room attendants make up the rooms, provide towels and bed linen, and ensure that everything is ready for a new guest. This role is physically demanding and can often be seasonal or part-time.

The banqueting and conference manager organises all the events that take place in the hotel that can be one-day conference for twenty people or a big corporate function with hundreds of guests. He has a team of event organisers who look after groups and parties. The employees of this department should be also organised and creative.

And finally, there is food and beverage department. Its manager is responsible for the restaurant and the kitchen.

Topic 6. Catering Outlets

Businesses providing catering services are varied and multiple. Restaurants offer customers a range of food, drink and service options. The main categories of catering outlets involve a la carte restaurants, table d'hôte menu restaurants, fast food restaurants and different cafe and pubs. At the high end of the market there are a la carte restaurants, so called because of the type of menu which lists and prices all items individually and prepares dishes to order. Service is generally of a very high standard with waiters or waitresses as well as specialist bar staff. The atmosphere is elegant and formal here. This category of restaurants includes gourmet restaurants, specialist restaurants, and ethnic restaurants. Gourmet restaurants are the most expensive. They serve the food and the beverages of the highest quality and often have recommendations from different food critics. Examples of specialist restaurants are steakhouses, seafood or vegetarian restaurants. While ethnic restaurants offer cuisine from a particular country or even region. The most widespread of them are Italian and Chinese restaurants.

Table d'hôte menu restaurants are a cheaper alternative to a la carte restaurants. They provide fixed-priced menus, a set number of courses with choices within each course. Items on the menu are ready at the same time, rather than made to order. The atmosphere is more informal here.

Nowadays many restaurants are part of a regional or international chain. So their menus, service and cost are the same everywhere and customers know exactly what to expect. Such restaurants are usually fast food outlets. These can be both eat-in restaurant, mostly with self-service, or takeaway restaurants, where customers buy cooked food to eat somewhere else. Examples include different pizzerias, kebab or fish and chips shops.

In addition to restaurants catering services are also provided by cafes, coffee bars and pubs. Cafes and coffee bars serve reasonably priced hot and cold drinks and light meals or snacks and are usually open during the day. Bars and pubs are always open at night. In pubs the food is usually homemade and traditional, while bars tend to offer a European-style menu of salads and sandwiches.

As for me, I prefer... For example, in Poltava I enjoy visiting...., because....

Topic 7. Restaurant Staff.

Restaurant staff team depends on the type and size of a restaurant. In general, it can be divided into two important groups such as front-of-house and kitchen. Both of them are very important for the success of a restaurant. Front-of-house staff deals with guests on a daily basis. They must be polite, friendly and skillful. Host or hostess is the face of the restaurant. He or she greets the customers and takes them to the open tables. Waitstaff provides all the necessary services. Head waiter usually gives directions and organizes all waitstaff. Waiters can be divided into two main categories servers and bussers. Severs are responsible for taking orders and delivering food from the kitchen. They should be ready to explain the different dishes on the menu to customers. While bussers are in charge of putting utensils and napkins on tables before customers arrive and taking used plates and glasses from the tables. In more formal restaurants we can also find a wine waiter, who advises customers on wines and other drinks.

Kitchen is the hidden but not less important part of any restaurant. The head chef or the chef de cuisine manages the kitchen, gives the directions on dish preparation, takes decisions about portions and service to the public and does the most difficult processes. They check materials, preparation times and methods, hygiene and correct functioning of the appliances. They plan staff tasks and hours. They are also in charge of planning menus, and buying raw materials. The head chef is supported by the sous chef in large kitchens. They supervise the use of raw materials, dishes and equipment, do some preparation and take care of preserving and storing food. A group of prep cooks prepares food before the restaurant opens. Line cooks usually cook one type of food all night, such as sauces, fish or vegetables. Swing cook works at more than one station when other cooks need help. Finally, pastry chef makes desserts. Caller informs the kitchen staff what food customers ordered. Dishwashers keep the crockery and the cutlery clean. Everyone in the kitchen and front-of-house works together to make sure that guests have a great meal and service!

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